ETHIOPIA: ETHIOPIA'S TRADITIONAL SHEMA COSTUME, MOSTLY WORN BY WOMEN AND WOVEN AND DECORATED BY MEN

Record ID: 652322

  • Title: ETHIOPIA: ETHIOPIA'S TRADITIONAL SHEMA COSTUME, MOSTLY WORN BY WOMEN AND WOVEN AND DECORATED BY MEN
  • Date: 26th June 2000
  • Summary: VARIOUS LOCATIONS, ETHIOPIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) WIDE OF SHEMA WEAVERS AT WORK ( 2 SH0TS) GV, NATIVE WOMEN WEARING SHEMA DRESS VARIOUS, WOMEN SPINNING RAW COTTON BY HAND SV, SMV MAN SPINNING COTTON ON WHEEL (2 SHOTS) SMV, SHEMA WEAVER THOMAS YEMALE AT WORK SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English Translation) THOMAS YEMALE "Preparing one Shema like this takes one month, but in modern factories it takes one day or half a day. This means the Shema from the factory doesn't have quality. We have the experience and skill to produce quality dress." WIDE OF THOMAS AND OTHERS WEAVING (2 SH0TS) WIDE OF WOMAN SPINNING COTTON THREAD SMV, THOMAS YEMALE WEAVING COTTON ON LOOM (2 SHOTS) SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English Translation)THOMAS YEMALE "I dropped out of the eighth grade to weave the shema. I had to work to survive. Where I come from it's hard to afford education. I was compelled to join this traditional profession." VARIOUS, YOUNG MEN WEAVING AND CHANGING BOBBINS ON LOOMS (5 SHOTS) SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English Translation) KUCHE "I had to look and learn from my friends how to make quality shema. Now I can support my family and earn some money." WIDE OF WOMEN WEARING SHEMA OUTSIDE CHURCH (3 SHOTS) SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English Translation) AMARICH, WORSHIPPER "In our culture women are required to cover themselves from head to toe at religious ceremonies. We have a dress that does exactly that." VARIOUS, NATIVE WOMEN AT FUNERAL WEARING SHEMA (2 SHOTS) VARIOUS, MODERN WEDDING CEREMONY WITH SPECIALLY DESIGNED SHEMA'S BE WORN SLV, WOMEN WALKING DOWN ROAD WEARING SHEMA'S (2 SHOTS) SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English Translation) DESTA DEJANA, FASHION DESIGNER "The Shema is and has been very important to the Ethiopian people. The majority dress in the shema. It's the most affordable wear in this part of the world. No ceremony, cultural or national would take place without the Shema." WIDE OF LOCAL MARKET VARIOUS, MARKET TRADERS SELLING SHEMA'S (3 SHOTS) SCU/SMV WOMAN LOOKING AT DIFFERENT DESIGNS OF SHEMA IN SHOP (2 SHOTS) SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English Translation) DESTA DEJANA "I learnt how to design from an Italian woman. Accordingly as time passed I studied more about Ethiopian cultural designs. I've become quite popular in Addis with these designs." SLV, WOMAN WEARING MODERN DESIGN OF SHEMA SMV, TRADERS WITH SHEMA MV , GROUP OF MEN SEWING AND DECORATING SHEMA CLOSEUP MAN STITCHING SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English Translation) MALE SHEMA WORKER "Generally women stitch it but here in Ethiopia men also do it with a passion. We do it also for an income. It is our culture, we are proud of it." VARIOUS, SHEMAS BEING SOLD AT LOCAL MARKET (2 SHOTS) SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English Translation) DESTE DEJANE "I am not afraid that modern fashion will upstage the Shema. Shema designs change and conform to the current market requirements. The young people accompanied by their parents still order shema as casual wear and for important ceremonies like their weddings." VARIOUS, LOCALS WEARING SHEMAS AT WEDDING CEREMONY VARIOUS, SHEMAS BEING WORN FORMAL EVENTS
  • Embargoed: 11th July 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: VARIOUS LOCATIONS, ETHIOPIA
  • Country: Ethiopia
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA10EO90P30K78PO06II01LMBO8
  • Story Text: Producing Ethiopia's national dress - the shema - is a long and arduous task, taking up the time of many professional weavers. Though mostly worn by women, men also play an important role in it - many of them stitching the shema's decorations.
    Spinning and weaving -- these young Ethiopian men are producing one of their country's most cherished items, the Shema.
    Making Shema is a long and arduous task.
    The raw cotton has to be spun and woven manually.
    It's an age old practice, using skills which have been passed on from generation to the next.
    Shema Weaver Thomas Yemale says "Preparing one Shema like this takes one month, but in modern factories it takes one day or half a day. This means the Shema from the factory doesn't have quality.
    We have the experience and skill to produce quality dress."
    In these poorly lit cubicles on the outskirts of the capital Addis Ababa, hundreds of men , women and children eke out a living weaving the Shema.
    18-year-old Thomas Yemale has been doing this work for the last five years.
    He says "I dropped out of the eighth grade to weave the shema. I had to work to survive. Where I come from it's hard to afford education. I was compelled to join this traditional profession."
    Many of the children here can only dream about school.
    It's a sign of Ethiopia's economic difficulties that some of them, even as young as 10, have to work to make a little extra income for their desperate families.
    They start by watching - in order to learn from older, more experienced weavers.
    Kuche says "I had to look and learn from my friends how to make quality shema. Now I can support my family and earn some money."
    The Shema is sacred in Ethiopia, and plays an important role in religious and traditional ceremonies.
    Worshipper Amarich says "In our culture, women are required to cover themselves from head to toe at religious ceremonies. We have a dress that does exactly that."
    At funerals women cover up in Shema. Wearing it upside down signifies mourning.
    Even a modern wedding ceremony would hardly be complete without a specially designed Shema outfit for the occasion.
    And on those cold Addis Ababa mornings, the Shema comes in handy for street people and early risers.
    Fashion designer Desta Dejana says "The Shema is and has been very important to the Ethiopian people. The majority dress in the shema. It's the most affordable wear in this part of the world. No ceremony, cultural or national would take place without the Shema."
    In this market in Addis, traders come from all corners of Ethiopia to buy and sell the Shema. Young women from the countryside look out for new ideas -- as does Deste.
    She says "I learnt how to design from an Italian woman.
    Accordingly as time passed I studied more about Ethiopian cultural designs. I've become quite popular in Addis with this designs."
    The Shema is mostly worn by women, but men seem to also play an important role - it is not uncommon to see men stitch and decorate the cotton with elaborate designs.
    This male Shema worker says "Generally women stitch it but here in Ethiopia men also do it with a passion. We do it also for an income. It is our culture, we are proud of it."
    But will the Shema survive the growth of more modern fashion trends in Ethiopia? Deste believes the garments versatility will help it outlast any catwalk trends: "I am not afraid that modern fashion will upstage the Shema. Shema designs change and conform to the current market requirements. The young people accompanied by their parents still order shema as casual wear and for important ceremonies like their weddings."
    Ethiopia's shema: a precious traditional costume and money spinner too.
    ENDS
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